Claudette Tully King, Formerly of Southampton, Dies April 20

After a stoic three-year battle with cancer that her family said she fought with strength, dignity and grace, Claudette King died peacefully on April 20 at her home in Yorktown, Virginia. She was 64.

At the time of her death, she was surrounded by the love of her Lord and Savior, her family said, and her family. Her radiant smile, special presence and beautiful personality will be deeply missed, her family said.

She was born on August 23, 1958, in Brooklyn, to Neil and Louise Tully.

She spent her childhood years living in Southampton, graduating from Southampton High School in 1976. She was a cheerleader and actually cheered “Kevin, Kevin, he’s our man” during a football rout where her future husband, Kevin King, made it into the game. She was active in Pep Club, gymnastics and enjoyed acting in the annual school plays. When she wasn’t enjoying bike rides or time on the beach, she could be found with her sisters Alicia and Louise, working at her parents’ lobster market in Hampton Bays.

She attended the California State College in California, Pennsylvania, where she majored in speech pathology and audiology. There, she met her third “sister” in life, Gayle Drewniak (nee Lockwood). After three years of academics, European travel called her, and she spent time traveling with friends. Upon her return, she managed the Lee Moore clothing store, and then founded, with her parents, Tully’s Harbor Restaurant in Hampton Bays. She worked there for many years until by chance, she reunited with “Kevin, Kevin he’s our man,” who waited patiently for her from the age of 15.

After brief courtship, the couple married on May 20, 1989, at the First Presbyterian Church in Southampton. They moved to Yorktown, Virginia, to start the journey of raising a family. She was a proud stay-at-home mom, raising her two sons along with the rest of the neighborhood children, many that she treated as her own. She was the backbone to her children’s success, her family said, whether it be in their faith, school activities, academics, Cub/Boy Scouts, or athletics. Her son once wrote to her, “Always nurturing me and placing me on the right path in life is paying off, and it’s all thanks to your hard work. With all your care, it’s a wonder I ever learned to goof off.”

She loved to travel with family and friends, including many memorable beach trips to Cape Hatteras, Block Island and her hometown of Southampton. The family also loved to cruise the waters of Newport, Rhode Island, Martha’s Vineyard and Chesapeake Bay. Skiing was her winter love; her favorites were Deer Valley, Utah and Sun Valley, Idaho.

King was active in the Yorkminster Presbyterian Church (YPC) for many years. She taught Sunday school and was active in the ladies Circle One and was on the preschool board of directors as the assistant treasurer. She also participated on a mission trip to Honduras, where she made lifelong friends. She was also the main meal preparer for large groups in the church’s new Covenant Hall. Whether the meal was for 25 or 225, her recipes, portion control and delivery were par excellence, her family noted.

The family would like to thank her oncology team at the Duke Cancer Center in Durham, North Carolina, special thanks to Tara Herrmann. They would also like to thank her dear friend Karen Spitler, who made many lengthy trips, through COVID and all, to help the family navigate the trials of treatment and medication, and to be a friend. They also thank their congregation and prayer warriors at YPC for their steadfast love and support.

She was predeceased by her father, Neil Tully. She is survived by her husband, Kevin; and their sons Clark of Breckenridge, Colorado, and Kyle (Sara) of Doylestown, Pennsylvania; her mother Louise Andersen Tully of Calverton; sisters Alicia Ferguson (Tom) of Brookfield, Vermont, and Louise (Bill) Koral of Bridgehampton; sisters-in-law, Karin Driscoll of Bloomfield, New York, and Kathleen King of Southampton; brother-in-law Richard King (Robin) of Southampton; and many nieces and nephews.

The family suggests the following charities in her honor: The Duke Cancer Center, 300 W. Morgan St., Suite 1200, Durham, NC 27701; The Yorkminster Presbyterian Preschool Scholarship Fund, 6218 George Washington Memorial Hwy, Yorktown, Virginia 23692; a lung cancer research center of one’s choice.

The Amory Funeral Home in Yorktown, Virginia, (amoryfuneralhome.com) is coordinating arrangements. See website for service schedules.